File picture: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah | Photo Credit: TH

Siddaramaiah is set to leave for New Delhi at 7 pm on Monday for a meeting with the Congress high command, sources familiar with the matter said.

During his visit, Siddaramaiah is expected to meet senior party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal. “The meeting is purely political,” sources told businessline.

Cabinet reshuffle likely to dominate discussions

The discussions are expected to focus largely on the long-pending Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka. The meeting comes three years into the Congress government’s five-year term and amid an alleged power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar over the state’s leadership.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, addressed the media today, “I’ve often said that in our party, the High Command is supreme. Their decision will be made keeping in mind the upcoming 2028 elections, and we’ve said time and time again that all the party leaders are united.”

According to a report by The Hindu, the Chief Minister received a late-evening call on May 24 to meet the Congress high command. The development came after he had sought a meeting with Rahul Gandhi during the swearing-in ceremony of V. D. Satheesan.

The report noted that Siddaramaiah has been advocating a Cabinet reshuffle for the past six months, a move widely seen as an attempt to strengthen his position amid the ongoing leadership contest with Shivakumar. 10 to 12 ministers could be dropped due to factors such as performance, caste balance, and regional representation, which are expected to influence the exercise.

Pressure mounts within Karnataka Congress

When asked recently in Chamarajanagar about his prospects of becoming Chief Minister, Shivakumar said that only “time and muhurta” would provide the answer.

Pressure for a Cabinet reshuffle has also been mounting from within the party. Several MLAs and ministers have publicly and privately sought changes in the ministry, with some even setting deadlines for the exercise. With the government having completed three years in office in May 2026, the Congress is also beginning to prepare for the 2028 Assembly elections.

Earlier this year, a group of first-time Congress legislators reportedly wrote to Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge seeking representation in the state Cabinet ahead of a possible reshuffle. The letter was also addressed to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

The MLAs urged the party leadership to induct at least five first-time legislators into the ministry, arguing that the reshuffle presents an opportunity to bring fresh faces into governance and strengthen the party ahead of future electoral battles.

With inputs from The Hindu

Published on May 25, 2026